Panvel: The oldest Ganeshotsav organized by the renowned Shree Ganesh Mitra Mandal in Panvel is set to celebrate its 62nd year. Continuing their legacy, the ten-day festival will take place inside the Shani Mandir complex near Tapal Naka in Old Panvel. This year, the celebration focuses on environmental conservation through informative posters, banners, and the worship of an eco-friendly idol made entirely of paper mache.

The 7.5-feet-tall idol is a remarkable example of a lightweight eco-friendly idol, weighing just 8 kilograms. In addition to the idol, the pandal and decorations have also been created using eco-friendly materials. Consistent with previous years, the mandal aims to raise awareness about crucial social issues related to the environment, known as "paryavaran."

Apart from the daily puja rituals and aarti, the festival will feature Satyanarayan Katha, path, and havan over the ten days. This year’s main theme is the Mahakal Temple in Ujjain, emphasizing its significance and the science behind it. A 10-minute light and sound show about the Mahakal Temple is being streamed live to enlighten every visitor about its importance.

In addition to religious activities, the committee has planned various community events, including a drawing competition for children, a health camp, and other social initiatives. These activities are supervised by Surendra Prabhakar Khalde, along with team members Yatin Deshmukh, Sachin Joshi, Ankit Shah, Mandar Devrukhker, Deepak Jagnade, Manoj Desai, Mehul Shah, Manoj Khalde, Subhash Pawar, Omkar Khalde, and Rohan Khade.